Ties of Friendship
by SawyerElliott
Summary: It's hard to find reason to forgive, and harder still to forget. How will these two fix their shattered bonds when one has a secret to hide and the other has forced herself to hate?
1. Chapter 1

**Hey, guys! This is my first story, so let me know what you think. If you have any suggestions or anything, just let me know. :) I'm not sure if this should be just a Rima and Nadeshiko friendship or a Rima and Nagihiko relationship, so I want your opinions.**

**I hope you enjoy!**

Mashiro Rima groaned as she sat up in her bed, blonde curls a tangled mess about her. It was her first day back to school after the winter break, and putting on her outer façade to spend time with people (most of whom she didn't care about) was not a priority on her list of things to do.

She forced herself out of bed after snoozing her alarm two or three times, sleepily collecting her school uniform from where she had laid it out the day before. And the Guardian's cape… where was it, again?

…_Oh. I put it up in the closet. That's right. _Crossing the short distance from her bed to the closet, she pulled open the door and started sifting through the clothes. _Cape… cape…_

She frowned as her eyes settled on the pale peach kimono in the corner of the small area. It still fit her, she was fairly certain, the orange flowers beautifully accenting the amber tint of her eyes. The outfit was paired with a buttercream yellow obi that rested patiently on top of the whole ensemble, waiting to be worn once more.

Rima planned on never wearing it again.

.~*~.

_Rima glanced around the large dance studio, her wide eyes never fully settling on one aspect of it. The one-way mirrors that covered the walls, the balance bars bolted to the ground… The benches, barren floor, and lithe forms driven by nothing but their will alone. It was unfamiliar to her; it was only the first week of classes and she already found herself lonely and challenged. The traditional dance classes had been her mother's idea, seen as a different kind of hobby. But without a friend or the necessary skill…_

_Rima sighed, looking down at her lap and twiddling her thumbs. She had attempted the routine so many times, and yet, was still unable to get through it successfully; she had given up after the first half hour and settled for watching the others practice._

_One particular girl had captured her attention. She had shoulder-length purple hair that was tied up in a neat high ponytail and the warmest amber eyes. Her expression was one of determination as she flawlessly completed the routine that even some of the better dancers were _

_having trouble with._

_Breathing heavily as she finished, she looked around for the nearest bench. There was one right by her, but seeing Rima alone, she thought better of sitting there and started walking over._

_Rima was fiddling with the hem of her shirt as the stranger walked over and took a seat; a gentle, musing voice disrupted her thoughts moments later._

"_Hello," the girl said with a warm smile._

"_Hi," Rima mumbled, giving a timid wave. "Your dancing was really pretty."_

"_Really? I don't think so; there were more than a few mistakes in there…" She took a moment to clear her throat. "What's your name? Are you new here?"_

"_Yeah, I am," she said quietly, though she was smiling. "My name is Mashiro Rima, but you can call me Rima-chan, if you want."_

"_And I'm Fujisaki Nadeshiko. But you can call me anything. I've been here for a long time, and dancing for even longer. It's my passion, I guess you could say." Nadeshiko held out her hand for Rima to shake. "It's nice to meet you, Rima-chan."_

"_Likewise," she nodded, reaching out to shake Nadeshiko's hand. A comfortable silence ensued before she continued. "…Is it okay if I call you Nade-chan?"_

"_Of course. It's cute," she smiled softly._

"_All right." Rima started to fidget. "Um… could you help me out… with the routine?"_

"_Sure," Nadeshiko nodded, standing and offering her a hand. "What parts are you having trouble with?"_

"_Everything," she admitted, taking her hand and standing up. "I can't do it."_

"_Don't say that. Let's take it bit by bit, from the beginning. You'll know what to do by the end of the day, I promise. Want to watch me do it one time through? And then you can try it and we'll work through the trouble spots."_

"_Okay, got it," Rima nodded._

_As Nadeshiko began to dance, Rima couldn't help the smile that crept onto her lips. She couldn't be lonely anymore; she had made a friend. Her first real friend._

.~*~.

Shaking her head to clear her mind, she looked away from the kimono and grabbed the cape off of its hanger. _I don't have the time to relive stupid memories. Wouldn't want to be late, after all…_

Even though she was in high school now, and KusuKusu as well as everyone else's charas had disappeared, the memory of her time with the Guardians was a fond one. It was no longer a requirement for them to wear the cape, but wearing it had become a habit that Rima had never been fully able to ditch. The high school uniform was only slightly different than the junior high's; girls wore a white blazer with a red tie, a red skirt, and black tights, while the boys wore a white blazer with a blue tie and black slacks.

Once Rima had changed out of her pajamas, she grabbed her hairbrush and attempted to run it through her tangled tresses. "Ow, ow, ow, ow…" she whimpered, pausing halfway through to let the throbbing in her head subside. She all but threw her brush back into the drawer once she was done, placing a now familiar white headband upon her head. She looked over at the clock, cursed, grabbed her bag, and dashed out of her house with an exasperated, "Bye, Mom! See you later!"

It wasn't even four minutes in the cool winter air before her legs almost gave out on her. She had hoped that her athleticism would improve over the years, but to no avail. There wasn't a day that she didn't curse her puny limbs for being so pitiful.

"Amu," she wheezed, spotting the familiar pinkette in the distance. "Wait – wait up…"

"Ah, Rima!" she grinned, reaching down to adjust her leg warmers. "How was your break?"

"It was good," she nodded, managing to catch her breath and straighten up with a smile. "Pretty boring, but… really, what isn't, nowadays? How was yours?"

Amu rolled her eyes, "It was… okay. Ikuto visited from college, so…" A slight blush crept onto her cheeks as she noticed the face Rima was making at her. "What? We just… we hung out a little."

Rima wiggled her eyebrows at her friend. "Oh, I see. You hung out _a little_."

"Shut up," Amu mumbled. "It was nice talking to him. You don't get the chance to catch up with old friends that often, know what I mean?"

_Oh, Amu, you have no idea._ Rima suppressed a small frown as she thought of a response that didn't make her sound so bitter. "I… yeah. I understand."

A few moments later, just as the bell decided to chime loudly across the school grounds, they reached the school entrance. Amu grabbed Rima by the wrist, a sly grin replacing her subtle smile. "Sorry about this, Rima, but I really don't want to be late." And with that, in a very Kukai-like manner, she dragged Rima in through the lavish double doors and to their homeroom.

Rima rolled her eyes as Amu bowed and hastily apologized to their Sensei for showing up late.

With an audible 'humph' and a warning look to the adult at the head of the room, Rima took her seat at the back of the classroom.

Their Sensei cleared her throat and stood up, smiling as she looked out at her students.

"Welcome back, class. I hope you enjoyed your winter break – but before we begin here, there's someone I'd like you to meet. Please give a warm welcome to our new transfer student; some of you may know her from Seiyo Elementary, but those of you who don't should really try and get to know her because-" She was cut off by her students' expressions, most of which said, "stop talking and show us this kid already". Laughing nervously and clearing her throat again, she continued. "You may come in now."

The door was opened gently, making Rima perk up from her usual position of boredom. She started pulling a textbook out of her bag, keeping her eyes on the front of the room. The sound of light footsteps gave way to the appearance of a tall beauty, her waist-length purple hair fastened in a high ponytail that she fiddled with as a sweet smile graced her lips. She smoothed down her skirt, amber eyes finally focusing on the class. "Hello, everyone. My name is Fujisaki Nadeshiko. It's a pleasure to meet you all." The girl bowed politely before straightening up.

Golden eyes met amber.

The book slipped from Rima's shaking hands and hit the floor before she had the chance to react.


	2. Chapter 2

**I'm going to try to update once a week from now on. Many thanks to my single reviewer, Hazey Rine, and any of you that might've read. ^^**

**Enjoy! :)**

The class turned to look at Rima as she dropped her textbook, bewildered by the shocked expression on her face.

She mumbled a quick apology, bending down to pick it up and set it on her desk. A flustered Rima was a rare sight, and the Sensei had to call out to her class a few times to get them to turn back to the front of the room and the new student.

_Nadeshiko,_ Rima thought, dazed as she avoided her old friend's gaze that was undoubtedly trained on her. She could only nod faintly at Amu's whispers of, 'That's her, Rima! The Queen of the Guardians before you came along'.

And she wasn't the only one whispering. It seemed like every student had something to say about Nadeshiko, whether they knew her from elementary or had just laid eyes on her moments ago.

The Sensei addressed Nadeshiko with a warm smile, pointing toward the back of the room. "Your seat will be next to Hinamori-san." She turned to Amu, then, who appeared to be ecstatic. "Will you please raise your hand, Hinamori-san?"

Amu dropped the excited expression as the class turned to her, replacing it with one of boredom and resting her cheek against her hand. She lifted her arm, giving Nadeshiko a casual wave, though a hint of a smile was just barely visible on her features.

Nadeshiko thanked the Sensei before heading to the back of the room, sparing Rima a brief glance as she sat next to Amu. It wasn't long before the two launched into conversation, Nadeshiko speaking of her time abroad in Europe and Amu of everything that had changed since the former Queen had left.

Rima tried her hardest to ignore it despite her curiosity, instead focusing on the board and what the teacher was saying. She took notes absently, still somewhat dazed. She didn't want to talk to Nadeshiko. She couldn't face her, not after all these years, but... she still wanted answers. And an explanation for everything that had happened.

Her gaze trailed down to her right foot and she shuddered, bad memories threatening to consume her.

. ~*~.

Nagihiko couldn't deny the fact that it was nice to talk with Amu again. It had been years since they had last seen each other, and they had both been too busy to stay in contact.

She hadn't changed much. She still tried to keep up her 'cool and spicy' attitude on the outside, masking the happily oblivious and sweet personality that she reserved for few. It was relieving to know that time hadn't changed their relationship.

He wished that he could say the same for the girl sitting a few seats behind him, glaring daggers at his back.

_Rima-chan_.

It was clear that she wanted nothing to do with him at this point, and although he understood why, he couldn't bring himself to accept it. They had been too close for things to end up like this.

She may have looked the same - a petite frame, golden eyes, and long, butterscotch curls - but he couldn't shake the feeling that something about her presence was different.

He wanted to talk to her again. He had never been able to guess what she was thinking, and now was no exception.

But what was he supposed to say?

I'm sorry that I pushed you out of my life all those years ago because of a secret about me that you couldn't know and almost discovered?

Yeah. Because that would turn out well.

Nagihiko suppressed the urge to sigh, plastering a fake smile on his features as he listened to Amu's stories and the scribbling of Rima's pen on her paper behind him.

Maybe transferring back hadn't been such a good idea after all.

.~*~.

Class ended about a half-hour later, the students who were eager to get out of the classroom practically running out through the door as soon as the bell rang.

Rima put her books away with a practiced air of quietude, her expression indicative of the fact that she was _not_ in the mood to chat.

Amu seemed oblivious to her non-verbal warning, as she dragged Nadeshiko over a few moments later for introductions. "Rima?" she asked pleasantly.

She sighed and tried to tone down her expression, to little avail. "Yes?"

"I wanted to personally introduce you to Nadeshiko. She was the Queen before you, and my first real friend when I transferred to Seiyo Elementary. So," she paused, pushing Nadeshiko in front of her with a faint smile, "here she is."

Nadeshiko looked over at Amu wearily. "You know, Amu-chan, she and I already-"

"It's nice to meet you, Nadeshiko. I'm Mashiro Rima." She extended her hand for Nadeshiko to shake, her eyes making it very clear that Amu was to know nothing of their past relationship.

Slightly bewildered, Nadeshiko shook her hand. "Pleased to make your acquaintance, Rima-chan."

They let their hands fall back their sides, though Rima's was clenched in a tight fist. "Call me Mashiro-san, if you don't mind."

"...Right," she murmured. "Sorry."

The silence that ensued for the next few minutes was nothing short of extremely awkward.

Amu frowned as Rima jumped on the opportunity to leave, already halfway to the door. "Aren't you going to eat lunch with us today, Rima?"

"No," she called over her shoulder, "I feel like eating by myself today. Maybe some other time."

She slid the door shut behind her, an angry blush creeping onto her cheeks as she headed for her locker. Who did Nadeshiko think she was, coming back after all this time and acting as if nothing had happened between them? She thought that she could show up whenever she felt like it and act just as familiarly as she had in the past?

When would she understand that Rima wasn't ready to forgive her for what she had done?

Rima stopped in front of her locker, exhaling a shaky breath that she hadn't realized she'd been holding. It took a few moments of resting her head against the cool metal to regain her composure before she could start fiddling with the lock.

There was a satisfying click as she entered her combination and opened up the locker door, putting her books away and grabbing her lunch. She locked her locker up and started toward the empty dance room on the second floor once she was sure no one else was around. It had become a sort of hideout for her when she wanted to be by herself, or blow off some steam.

She needed the solace that dancing by herself brought. It made her remember the feeling that no matter what happened, everything would work itself out in the end.

It brought the sweeter memories of her past to the forefront of her mind.

Things had been so much simpler then.

**This chapter seemed like a filler to me, and I'm still not sure how I feel about it. Let me know what you guys think. (I'm hoping that the chapters will start to get longer as I get more into the plot.)**

**-Elliot**


	3. Chapter 3

**And I'm back! This update is a little earlier than planned, but I wanted to update fairly quickly because my two reviewers motivated me.**

**So thank you, Hazey Rine and shugocharafan1234. :D**

**That's pretty much it. This one's only a little longer than the last one, but I hope you'll enjoy anyway.**

Rima focused on an indent in the shabby wall as she twirled, executing flawless pirouettes with ease. Her hair was up in a neat ponytail, shoes a discarded heap in the corner of the room next to her bag.

Ever since she had discovered this place, she'd made a habit of coming a few days every week, whether it was in the morning, during lunch, or after school. Her mom had taken her out of dance classes ages ago, after the incident, but she had found ways to keep up with the sport despite that. She was sorely out of practice, and her foot still ached if she pushed herself too hard, but she could feel herself improving each time she decided to come to this room.

Rima lost her balance on one spin and would have fallen if not for the wall behind her. _Stopping right now would be best,_ she thought, heavy breaths passing through her lips. She took a step toward her backpack a few feet away, but a sharp pain in her foot jolted her.

She slid to the floor with a sharp intake of air, face contorting in pain.

She whimpered, clutching the limb lightly, eyes closed as she told herself that it would feel better by the end of the day and that she had no reason to worry. Her foot was fine and no one needed to know about the incessant pain it caused her, especially not the doctor.

The bell rang moments later and she forced herself to stand, grabbing her bag and slinging it over her shoulder. She slipped her dainty feet into her shoes, took her hair out of the ponytail, and opened the door.

The last thing she expected to find waiting for her was a critical pair of amber eyes locked on her own.

.~*~.

After Rima had all but stormed out of the classroom, Amu and Nagihiko had gone to the cafeteria together.

It was nice, sitting with everyone again. He hadn't talked with any of them - Tadase, Kukai, or Yaya - in years. They all bombarded him with questions about his time studying abroad, and he answered the same way he had been answering all morning. '_It was good_', '_I learned a lot_', '_the people were really nice'_, and so on and so forth. It was starting to get tedious, but he put on his most polite face and smiled through it.

Toward the end of lunch, he'd made up an excuse about having to go to the restroom and left the cafeteria, partially because he wanted time alone to himself and partially because he was curious about where Rima had gone. She wasn't anywhere in the cafeteria, nor was she outside, and he highly doubted that she was already in class. It just wasn't like her.

With a defeated sigh, he retreated to his locker and withdrew the books he needed, packing them into his bag in an organized manner. He gripped it daintily and headed for his classroom on the second floor. Being a little early never hurt anyone, right?

He headed up the elegant spiral staircase, taking light steps and letting the fingers of his free hand trail along the banister. He couldn't help but be impressed with the handiwork of it.

_Right. But stopping to admire it would be strange._

Nagihiko trudged on down the empty hall, but something captured his attention. A figure in the window.

His eyes widened as he realized who the dancer really was; her form was one thing about her that he'd always been able to recognize. But she still... she still danced? Even after everything that happened? How could she even put that much weight on her foot without falling over?

_But she's gotten so much better from when we first met. It's like she's a completely different person, _he thought, taking absentminded steps toward the small window. She was just doing pirouettes, but they couldn't have been more perfect. So fiercely determined, yet at the same time, calm and retained.

It was admirable.

And then, moments later, she fell. A stab of guilt shot through him, and it took all he had not to fling open the door and rush to her side. It's what any friend would do. _It's what Nadeshiko would've done._

But how would Rima react when she realized that he had been watching her for... well... a while? This place was obviously a little more private to her, and he already felt like he was intruding on her personal space just by standing outside and watching her practice.

His brain barely registered the tolling of the bell, the noise distant in comparison to his noisy thoughts.

Which was why he couldn't feign an air of calmness when Rima opened the door, almost right into his face.

He met her surprised gaze, amber eyes slowly trailing down to her foot that he had witnessed her clutching just moments before. Was she really going to pretend that she was okay?

"Your foot," Nagihiko mumbled moments later.

"You were watching?" she asked, raising her eyebrows.

"No, not necessarily watching. I just happened to be passing by."

There was a brief silence that consisted of Rima glaring at him while he thought of something to say.

"Your dancing... it's gotten better," he managed after a few moments. "I thought you might want to know."

He couldn't decipher the myriad of emotions in her eyes. She looked somewhat conflicted, still angry, but a little flattered.

And then the harsh expression was back.

"You're in my way, and people are starting to stare. Could you please move so that I can get to class?" she asked, arms crossed.

"But," he frowned, "your foot-"

"-is perfectly fine and wants none of your concern. Let me leave, Nade-cha - I mean, Fujisaki-san." As Nagihiko raised an eyebrow in surprise, a flustered Rima pushed past him and out into the hall.

He adjusted his bag on his shoulder before starting toward his classroom, a faint smile on his face. _I guess old habits die hard._

.~*~.

The rest of the day went by quickly. Rima sighed with relief as the last bell rang, dismissing them from school, and collected her things before heading for the front gate. She waited for Amu there every day.

The familiar pinkette came into view, bringing a smile to her petite features, but then she realized who was walking out after her.

It just _had_ to be Nadeshiko, didn't it?

It wasn't that Rima hated her- she didn't particularly _hate_ anyone - but she didn't think she could find it in herself to try being friends again just yet. So she was attempting to ignore her for the time being.

Though things hadn't been going as planned so far.

_She saw me dancing,_ Rima thought, back turned as she took slow steps away from the school. _No one's seen me dancing since I quit at the studio. Even worse, she knows where I go when I'm upset, and she's always been the comforting type..._ she sighed. _I thought that she'd be gone from my life for forever-_

"Rima?" Amu asked, causing the blonde to turn around. "Are you...ready to go yet?"

"Of course," Rima nodded, disregarding Nadeshiko as she started down the familiar street that led to Amu's house, her house, and eventually...

"I hope you don't mind Nadeshiko tagging along. She lives right down the street from you, actually, if you can believe it."

"Oh, I can believe it," she mumbled to herself, straightening up moments later with a forced smile. "Now we have someone else to walk home with. How nice."

"I know what you mean," Amu grinned, elbowing Nadeshiko playfully. "So, Nadeshiko, how was your first day back? It was nice seeing everyone again, right?"

"It was good. The classes weren't too boring, and I enjoyed seeing all of my old friends," she said, glancing at Rima before she looked back to Amu and smiled. "And it was nice meeting some new ones, too."

Amu beamed, as if that was exactly what she had wanted to hear. "You know, I'm glad that you two are getting along. At first, I was afraid that you wouldn't, but I guess I had nothing to worry about."

Nadeshiko smiled bashfully, a nervous laugh escaping her. "Yeah. Rima-chan and I are getting along well. Thanks for introducing us."

"No problem. My two best friends needed to meet sooner or later."

The two of them nodded, not meeting each other's gaze.

Amu sighed softly minutes later, looking around and coming to an abrupt stop. "Well, guys, this is my stop. I'll see you both tomorrow, okay?"

Rima turned, smiling faintly. "Bye, Amu."

"See you tomorrow," Nadeshiko nodded in her direction.

With a final wave, Amu let herself into her house and closed the door behind her, leaving Rima and Nadeshiko alone and suffering from an awkward silence.

"How's your foot?" Nadeshiko asked moments later, eyes curiously flitting over to Rima's stiff form. "Does it feel better?"

Rima shrugged, not looking up. "A little better, I guess. It won't hurt in the morning."

"Good. I'm glad," she said, smiling genuinely for once. "You know, I was worr-"

"Since when have you cared?" she asked, finally looking over at Nadeshiko. There was a hint of anger in her voice, but for the most part, she just seemed curious.

"I've always cared," she murmured, suddenly taking an interest in the ground.

Rima rolled her eyes, thankful that they were standing in front of her house. "Really?" she asked, ascending the front steps and opening the door. She stood for a moment, staring down at her old friend from the porch, before shaking her head. "You sure have a funny way of showing it."

And she slammed the door, leaving a guilty Nadeshiko standing behind in the cool afternoon breeze.

**Hope you enjoyed. 3**


	4. Chapter 4

**Aw, my two reviewers. You guys are too sweet.**

**Thank you so much for the kind words. 3**

**Here's the next chapter, just for you guys. :D**

Rima was sitting cross-legged on the gym floor, holding her hair up to keep it from getting dirty. Even when she ponytailed it, it was still too long for sitting.

She sent Nadeshiko and Amu a sidelong glance, sighing softly. She had been keeping to herself all day so far, from walking to school with the pair this morning to now. While she really did want to speak to Amu, the pinkette's attention was constantly captured by Nadeshiko's words and somewhat-forced smiles.

The fact that Amu still didn't suspect that something was going on didn't paint her perception skills in a very pretty light.

Physical education was Rima's least favorite class of the day. It was nice because they hardly ran, but at the same time, they played so many team sports and completed enough paired activities to last her a lifetime. Which is why she wasn't too happy to learn that they would have to craft a routine for their tumbling unit in groups of four.

And it was just her luck to be paired up with Amu, Nadeshiko, and Tadase. The three people who probably had the most history together before her transfer to Seiyo.

The teacher had just been explaining that their routine had to be completely original, and would end up being about 15% of their final grade in the class. Some of the other groups were talking about what they wanted to do, like cartwheels, somersaults, flips, and the like, but her group?

They were still catching up with each other. Like they had been catching up for the past two days.

And usually, Rima wouldn't have minded, because she and most forms of exercise didn't get along, but with this... she was sure she could do it. She was already running through possible routines in her mind, based on the athleticism of each member in her group. She and Nadeshiko could handle the hardest aspects of it, Amu, the more average parts, and for Tadase, whatever required the least flexibility-

"Rima-chan?" came the light voice, dragging her from her thoughts. At the sound of it, she wanted to glare, but twisted her expression into some semblance of a smile. She had told Nadeshiko to call her Mashiro-san. Apparently it just hadn't stuck.

"Yeah?" she asked, looking around at her group members. "Are you guys ready to get to work?"

Amu raised an eyebrow at her and Tadase looked genuinely surprised. "You actually want... to get to work?"

Rima shrugged, forcing the color that threatened to come to her cheeks away. "I mean, yeah... This just seems kind of... fun. And I'm okay at stuff like this." She cleared her throat, looking at the floor. "Do you guys have any ideas?"

It wasn't surprising that Nadeshiko spoke up first. "Well, it depends... How good do you guys think you are at this?"

"Without being able to chara-change with Ran... probably only so-so," Amu murmured, rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly.

"Not very good," Tadase sighed.

Rima met Nadeshiko's eyes as if her question was a challenge. "Good enough for whatever you have in mind, I'm sure."

And Nadeshiko smiled. The girl actually smiled.

"Right, so I was thinking that maybe we could alternate throughout the routine. We could start out with Rima-chan and I, and then go to you and Hotori-kun, Amu-chan... back to Rima-chan and I, then you and Hotori-kun again.., and then we finish it off with all four of us?"

"Sure." Both Amu and Tadase nodded at Nadeshiko, and Rima agreed hesitantly moments later.

"Then it's settled," she smiled, clapping her hands together. "Oh, and Rima-chan?"

"What?" the blonde asked, frowning somewhat.

"Can I expect cartwheels and back handsprings from you?"

Rima laughed lightly, a sneaky grin rising to her lips. "But of course."

.~*~.

They had spent the whole rest of the period practicing. Their routine wasn't hard, and overall, it didn't look half bad. It definitely surpassed those of most of the other groups.

But by the time Rima had said her goodbyes to Amu and Nadeshiko (one a little less enthusiastic than the other) and made it inside, she was about ready to pass out. The routine had exhausted her, and her foot felt especially worn down today. She could still walk, but too much movement brought her fair amounts of physical pain.

Her foot was red and throbbing when she finally got the chance to look at it. She was relaxing on the couch and watching T.V., taking a breather before cracking down on her homework and the like. Her mom wasn't home right now, which she was grateful for, because she wasn't sure she could deal with one of her moods at the moment.

Rima's eyes eventually slipped shut, and before she knew it, she had fallen asleep.

.~*~.

When she woke up a couple hours later, she was surprised to find her mother staring down at her with a stern expression, arms crossed.

"Mom?" Rima asked, bleary-eyed as she sat up.

Her eyes trailed from her daughter's face to her foot, where they lingered. "What is the meaning of this?"

She frowned. "What're you talking about?" There was a momentary pause while she followed her mom's gaze. "...Oh. That."

"I'm waiting," she grumbled, tapping her work shoes against their hardwood floors impatiently.

Rima sounded incredibly flustered as she replied, desperate to explain herself. "It's really fine, I swear. We were just doing an activity in P.E. today that ended up being a lot more strenuous than I thought, and-"

"Have you been dancing behind my back again? After I expressly forbid it?"

She sighed, "No, I swear-"

Her mom was scowling, if only slightly. "Rima."

"Okay, fine! I was. But that isn't why it looks like it does right now. I'm telling the truth about P.E., I promise." She held her hands up in some form of surrender, managing, somehow, to not fall apart under her mother's harsh gaze.

"...We're taking you to the doctor's office, Rima. Right now." Her mom grabbed her keys from the counter, distressed as she carded her hand through her hair.

"But I-"

"_Now._"

"Yes, Mom," Rima mumbled, standing up carefully in an attempt to remain upright. She slipped on her shoes as she left the house, following her mom to the car and getting in on the passenger's side.

The car ride consisted of few exchanged words and a long silence. Rima was grateful when they pulled up at the hospital about twenty minutes later.

Upon entering, Rima and her mother approached the front desk. The nurse there told them that Rima's doctor could see her in about half an hour and directed them toward a few vacant chairs so that they could sit down.

If it was one thing Rima hated about hospitals, it was the waiting.

She had been here on more than one occasion; a few times for annual check-ups, less times for X-rays, and once for surgery. It wasn't her favorite place to be.

Rima stared at her lap and twiddled her thumbs for the next half-hour, ignoring her mother and letting herself get lost in her thoughts. Thoughts of Nadeshiko, the past few days of school, how she was going to make it through the tumbling routine...

Her mom nudged her when the nurse came over to tell them "The doctor will see you now."

They both stood and followed her to the last door at the end of the hall, on the right side.

After exchanging greetings with the petite woman inside, Rima had her X-rays taken. There was an incredibly brief interim as the pictures were developed and the doctor looked over them, a frown slowly coming to her lips.

Rima's mother noticed the expression and started wringing her hands anxiously. "How does it look, Doctor...?"

The doctor brushed her hair from her face, pinning the X-ray up on the wall so that both Rima and her mother could see it. "Do you see this set of bones below the ankle?"

The two of them nodded.

"They're misaligned. If she exerts herself too much more, she's in danger of a bad compound fracture. And then she'd have to be off of her feet for at least a few months, until they're completely healed." She looked toward Rima. "Have you sustained a foot injury before?"

Rima nodded a little. "Yes. And I guess I messed myself up by going back to dancing before it was fully healed."

The doctor nodded. "Well,as long as you're careful until we can have you in for surgery to reposition them, you should be okay."

"All right. Thank you very much."

Rima's mom finally spoke up from where she sat. "When will that surgery be, exactly?"

"In about a week, at the earliest."

"A week?" Rima frowned as she sat forward. "But I don't have that kind of-"

"That'll be perfect, thank you," he mother nodded.

As the doctor scribbled a few things down in her planner, Rima paled.

_The tumbling routine is in two days. And there's no way I'm getting out of it._

**I'm super meh about this chapter. Let me know what you thought! (Also, if this scene with the doctor is horribly inaccurate or doesn't make sense, tell me so that I can fix it.) :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**The only reason I like this chapter is because it's the first one I've written that's over 2,000 words. xD**

**Thanks again to my two reviewers. 3**

**Enjoy. :D**

The next morning, Nagihiko stepped through the classroom door, eyes immediately searching for Amu and Rima. Although no one seemed to be paying them any mind, it looked like Amu was... pleading with the shorter girl? Why, though?

He raised a brow and walked over, greeting them with a pleasant smile."Good morning, guys."

"Good morning, Nadeshiko," Amu smiled, giving a casual wave.

"Morning, Fujisaki-san," Rima mumbled, not bothering to look up.

Nagihiko took his seat and set out his things, paying close attention to the conversation that had been resumed moments ago.

"Please, Rima? I don't understand why you're saying you can't do it anymore," Amu frowned, sitting on the desk in front of her friend.

"I just can't, Amu. I'm sorry. I'm sure there's someone else you can get to do it for you tomorrow. I've just been in a lot of pain lately, and I don't think I'll be up to it..."

"But you've been fine during practice. I don't think I've seen you mess up a single _need_ you," she said, pretending to pout.

Rima's growing irritation was becoming evident. "Amu, I don't know how many different ways I can tell you that-"

"What's going on?" Nagihiko asked pleasantly, his high-pitched voice effectively cutting Rima's off.

"None of your business," the petite blonde grumbled.

Amu rolled her eyes," Rima's telling me that she can't do the routine anymore. She said that we need to find someone to take her place, or take her out of it completely."

Nagihiko found an unusual amount of anxiety building up in the pit of his stomach. Was it because of her foot...? "Why, Rima-chan?"

"Because you guys... don't need me. You're practically all they need, Fujisaki-san," Rima mumbled. She technically wasn't lying. It was a half-truth.

Nagihiko puzzled over this. He was about to open his mouth and say something, but Amu beat him to it.

"Why didn't you tell us you were feeling that way sooner? None of us knew you were feeling left out. We just thought you weren't saying anything because you were tired or something..." She rubbed the back of her neck somewhat awkwardly. "If that's all it is, then there's no reason to worry. We all want you to be a part of the routine, so don't let that get you down, okay?"

"But, Amu-"

The teacher walked in moments later, easily silencing the trio, and eventually, the rest of the class. Amu gave Rima a reassuring nod before taking her seat next to Nagihiko, painfully oblivious to the fact that one of her best friends wasn't telling her something important.

The shorter girl sighed and rested her head on her desk, golden curls fanning out in a veil around her.

Nagihiko found himself unable to focus on the teacher, one question lingering in the forefront of his mind.

What was Rima hiding?

.~*~.

The bell tolled later that afternoon, signalling the end of the school day.

For Amu, Rima, Nagihiko, and, Tadase, that meant that P.E. had just ended. They all said their goodbyes to Tadase, who headed off to the boy's locker room, while the remaining trio followed the female population to the girl's locker room.

Most of the girls were gone within five minutes of the bell ringing, Amu and Rima included. The former told Nagihiko that they would wait for him out front, and that he didn't need to hurry.

The blonde mumbled something that sounded like, 'Yes, take _all _the time you need_._'

Nagihiko was, unfortunately for Rima, the last one out of the girl's locker room. He couldn't change with everyone else around, obviously, so he would bring his clothes to the bathroom stalls and change there.

Today had been their last chance to practice their routine before the next day, and they had all agreed that they were ready. Well, all of them except for Rima. She hadn't been saying much of anything all day. Any time he had tried to approach her with a question, she would brush him off like she always did and walk away.

Nagihiko stepped outside, spotting the familiar pinkette and running over to her. "Hi. Sorry I took so long."

"Don't worry about it, Nadeshiko," Amu said with a faint smile, picking up her bag and slinging it over her shoulder.

He looked around, frowning. "Where's Rima-chan?"

"She left early. Said she had a few things to do..." Amu sighed. "She's been acting a little strange lately. Ever since..." She cut off her sentence, looking warily over at Nagihiko.

"...Ever since I showed up, right? That's what you were going to say."

"Well... not _exactly_ that," she said, worried that she had offended her friend.

"Don't worry, Amu-chan," she smiled. "It's the truth."

The two started to walk side by side, a gentle breeze keeping them cool.

"I just don't get it, you know? You haven't done anything to make her behave strangely. And I know she said she feels left out, but... that can't be the only thing..."

Nagihiko ran his fingers through his thick ponytail. To tell, or not to tell? He wanted to, but he knew that there was always the chance of Amu telling Rima that she knew all about it. About their past. And if Rima found out that he had gone against her word and told Amu... it would only make things between them worse.

So he settled for giving a vague answer. "Yeah... I don't quite know what it is, either. But... I'm sure that when she's ready to talk about whatever's on her mind, you'll be the first one she goes to. So I wouldn't worry about it."

Amu nodded as she stopped in front of her house, as if Nagihiko's words had given her new strength. "Thanks for the advice, Nadeshiko. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Of course, Amu-chan," he said, waving. "Make sure you're ready for the routine!"

"I will be," she grinned, stepping inside her house and closing the door.

Nagihiko continued down the street, pausing only once to look at Rima's house. She was in there somewhere, keeping all of her feelings bottled up inside because she didn't have anyone she could fully trust.

He couldn't help feeling that it was his fault.

_Well, _he thought, looking toward the sky. _Tomorrow's a new day. I can only hope that things will be a little better then._

.~*~.

Rima rubbed her eyes the next morning, not wanting to get out of bed. She hadn't slept very well the night before, with the pain in her foot waking her up every half-hour or so, and making it hard to fall back asleep for at least another twenty minutes after the fact.

She slowly dragged herself out of bed, trying to put as little weight on her foot as possible as she maneuvered around the house. Her mom had left for work already; she always had a few days each week when she was called into work earlier than usual.

She couldn't skip school, and she didn't have a doctor's note to skip P.E. because her mother had never requested one (and even if she had, Rima wouldn't know where to find it). Which meant that she was stuck doing the routine today.

Joy.

Rima got dressed as quickly as she could, sitting down to a quick breakfast of toast before heading out the door. She was practically limping as she walked to school, her departure time later than usual. She was guessing that Amu and Nadeshiko were ahead of her by now, which was almost a blessing. She didn't think she could feign happiness and walk properly at the same time.

She made it to school a few minutes after the bell rang, much to her teacher's displeasure, and took her seat in the back of the room. She brushed off the worried looks she was receiving from Amu and Nadeshiko, instead trying to focus on her notes and not the pain in her foot.

_Look on the bright side... After today's over, things will be easier. P.E. will once again consist of basically nothing, and I'll eventually get the surgery and my foot will be better._

Rima sighed. _I just have to make it through today..._

.~*~.

Everyone was whispering about the routines they were about to see, and those they were supposed to perform. Some were excited, others a little anxious.

Rima was getting nervous. Sure, the routine only had to last for about forty-five seconds, but those would be the most painful forty-five seconds of her life, she was sure.

The teacher had just finished taking roll, and they were going to go down the list in alphabetical order by last name. She was willing to bet that Nadeshiko's last name would put them at fifth or sixth, in terms of performing order.

The first few groups went; there were some mistakes here and there, and some routines were so simple that they showed how little effort the members of the team had put in. But they were fun to watch. Infinitely more fun to watch than they were to perform, Rima would've guessed.

Soon enough, the teacher called for Fujisaki and her group. They all stood, moving into their starting positions. A quiet "go" from Nadeshiko signalled their start, with both Amu and Tadase managing one in-sync cartwheel across the mat.

That was Rima's cue to execute a handstand. Nadeshiko ran forward, pushing off from Rima's feet with her hands and flipping in midair to land gracefully on her feet. Rima did her best not to crumple from the pain, choosing instead to fall back and stand. Despite the pain, she couldn't help the smile that came to her lips. She had missed the thrill of putting on a good performance.

As Nadeshiko took her position on the opposite end of the mat, Rima made sure she was standing in the right place and nodded at the girl. They both turned around so that their backs were facing one another before proceeding to execute a series of back handsprings.

_One,_ Rima thought, wincing each time her feet came in contact with the floor and had to push off again. _Two, and..._

"Three," she heard Nadeshiko whisper from behind her, the two landing back to back. They were both breathing heavily as they finished, Amu and Tadase holding the handstand position on opposite corners of the mat.

The whole class was cheering for them as they took their seats, Rima resisting the urge to scream. The pain from that last landing... it was worse than it had ever been. She was starting to panic; she wanted to check her foot, but she knew that she'd have no opportunity to do so until she got home.

_Please be okay,_ she thought to herself.

…

Class was dismissed about twenty minutes later; Rima hurriedly changed in the locker room, applying as little pressure as she could to her foot, but it wasn't helping. The pain was incessant, even worse when she moved it even the tiniest bit. She sat down on the bench, leaning against her locker. She didn't want to move just yet.

Amu had left early; she said that she had a few things to take care of at home, and that she wanted Rima to apologize to Nadeshiko for her.

Rima had told her that she didn't mind, and that she'd see her later.

Nadeshiko came out of the bathroom five minutes later, blinking at Rima curiously. "What are you still doing here?"

"Amu wanted me to apologize to you for her because she had to go home early. So I waited." She tried to stand, but winced and fell back against the lockers.

The purple-haired girl frowned, extending her hand. "Is your foot all right?"

"No," Rima mumbled, hesitantly taking it and standing up. She was tempted to hop all the way home on her left foot, but soon brushed it off as a bad idea when she realized that she would probably end up falling over and hurting herself even more. "I don't... I can't walk."

Nadeshiko looked down at Rima's foot, eyes widening slowly. "It's..."

There was a small red patch blossoming on her shoe, around her lower ankle. Blood.

"We need to get you to a hospital-" she said, rustling around in her bag for her cell phone. She was about to dial the emergency number when she caught Rima wobbling on her feet out of the corner of her eye. The petite girl fainted, Nadeshiko just barely managing to catch her before her head hit the floor.

Nadeshiko slipped the girl's shoe off, trying to be gentle amidst her worry. Most of her sock was stained with blood, and as she removed the sock...

_Oh my God._

Little bones in Rima's foot were sticking out, blood pooling around some and dried around others.

Nadeshiko hurriedly punched three numbers into her phone, resting the device in the crook of her neck as she scooped Rima up gently and walked outside.

"Hello? I have an emergency here. My, um... my friend just fainted... She's losing blood in her foot. Yes... I'm standing outside of Seiyo High School... Okay, thank you. Good bye."

She looked down at the girl in her arms as she hung up, her panic threatening to overwhelm her.

_RIma-chan, please..._ she thought worriedly. _Please be okay._

**Hopefully that wasn't too terrible?**

**I understand it's confusing because I sometimes refer to him as Nadeshiko, and other times, Nagihiko, but... bear with it, please. xD**


	6. Chapter 6

**Sorry that this update took longer than usual. I've been busy, and I had writer's block. xD**

**Thank you guys for the sweet reviews. :)**

**Hope you like it!**

Nagihiko was sitting in the waiting room, head buried in his hands. He had been there for the past few hours while they treated Rima's foot, anxiously awaiting any news. He wasn't going to call their friends just yet, until he was sure that she would be okay; the hospital had tried to get in contact with her mother at home, and then at her work, but she couldn't come until her shift was over at eight.

So it had just been him, letting his thoughts wander from guilt to the worst case scenario and back again. His mind felt tired, he was drained, and he just wanted reassurance that she was okay so that he could leave her to rest.

Another half-hour had passed by the time a doctor emerged, holding a clipboard firmly in her hands. "Miss Fujisaki?" she cleared her throat.

"Yes?" Nagihiko asked, straightening up and almost forgetting to raise the pitch of his voice.

"Your friend has been treated. We performed the surgery she was to have in a week today, so we'll need to keep her overnight, but other than that, she's okay."

Nagihiko stood, running a hand through his ponytail. "And what about her foot?"

The doctor frowned, a sigh passing through her lips. "It's been badly damaged. As of now, it looks like she won't be able to use it normally for a few months, or at least until the hospital confirms that it's completely healed. And even then, she'll have to treat it lightly."

"...Will she ever be able to dance seriously again?" Nagihiko asked, after moments of careful thought.

"Eventually. What caused this problem in the first place was her dancing on her foot when it wasn't fully healed. She can't exert herself if she wants to keep up with the sport after this ordeal has passed." The doctor then smiled. "It's good that you were able to react as you did under the circumstances; she would've been in serious trouble if you had hesitated. Are you a good friend of hers?"

Nagihiko nodded a little, smiling faintly. "I guess you could say that. I've known her for a long time, and I... I know how much dancing means to her. Are you sure there's nothing we can do to speed up her recovery?"

The doctor shook her head. "Not if you want to avoid this situation again. Who knows? If she takes it easy, she might be better in three-quarters of the time or less. But I want someone to keep constant watch on her for at least a few weeks, and I know that her mother probably can't spare that amount of time because of work. I'll talk it over with her and see what she says."

Nagihiko sighed in defeat. "Right. Thank you very much, Doctor."

"You're welcome." The doctor turned around to leave, but stopped herself once she realized she had forgotten something. "She's resting right now, but if you still want to see her, you may. Just try not to wake her up, please." She looked down at her clipboard. "She's right down the hall, in room 475."

He allowed himself a small smile, bowing slightly to the woman before him. "Thank you, again." And with that, Nagihiko started down the hall to Rima's room.

As he stepped inside, the sterile smell made him wrinkle his nose. The whiteness of the room was overwhelming, and he would've stepped right back outside if not for the small form in the bed before him.

Nagihiko approached the bed, sinking down in the chair to the right of it. He looked at Rima with a gentle expression, trying to ignore her heavily bandaged foot near the end of the bed. She looked peaceful as she slept (most likely the result of painkillers), and the monitor showed that her heart was beating at a steady pace.

It was a relief, seeing her stable, yet he still thought that he was to blame, to a certain extent.

He wanted to apologize to her. As himself.

_And maybe I can do that while she's still resting._

Nagihiko undid the tie that was holding up his ponytail, letting his long hair loose and leaning back in the chair, relaxed. He hated pretending, putting on an act for other people. He hardly ever had the chance to be himself, and sure, he was taking a risk here, but he felt like it was worth it.

"Rima-chan. I know that if you were awake and knew that I was doing this, you'd call me lame for not being able to say it to your face. And you'd be right, but... I just feel like apologizing as Nadeshiko doesn't mean anything. It has to be me."

He took this moment to look toward the door and make sure it was closed.

"It really starts with what I did all those years ago, doesn't it? It's my fault that the bones in your foot ended up broken. All because I had to protect my stupid secret. And I wish I could say the secret doesn't matter anymore, but it still does, so I can't tell you about the real me. I almost wish that you would find out yourself so that I wouldn't have to keep pretending around you. You're the one person I always wanted to tell that I was Nagihiko Fujisaki, a boy with a passion for both dance and basketball. And-"

Nagihiko stopped abruptly when Rima began to stir, looking like she was about to wake up. But then he noticed her body relax and her breathing even out, indicating that she had fallen back asleep.

"If you hadn't come looking for me and tried to force your way into my room by sticking your foot right there, at that angle, I wouldn't have slammed the door on it, and you might be... okay right now. And I know it was an accident, but you deserved an explanation, and I walked out of your life before you could ask for one. So I just want you to know that I'm sorry for everything. It ruined our friendship, and it's no one's fault but my own."

After a few moments of silence, he chuckled, feeling silly for pouring his heart out to an unconscious girl.

"I am glad that you kept dancing, though. You've gotten so much better, it's incredible... and knowing you, you'll be back up on your feet before a few months have passed, completely healed and ready to dance again. I should've realized that something was wrong with your foot when you tried to get out of the routine, so I'm sorry for that, too," he sighed.

It was then that he noticed Rima opening her golden eyes, so he hastily put his hair back up in a high ponytail and stopped slouching. When he spoke this time, his voice was back to its unnatural pitch. "You're awake," he said with a relieved smile.

"Mm," she mumbled groggily, eyes seeming to finally focus on him. "Yeah, I am..."

"How do you feel?"

Rima shrugged a little, not even bothering with an attempt to sit up. "Out of it, but I'm not in pain right now, so I guess that's a good thing."

Nagihiko nodded, feeling at a loss for words after everything he had said. "Do you... remember what happened?"

"Kind of... I remember that we did our routine, and it was perfect, but I was in a lot of pain. I remember that Amu left early and told me to wait for you, so I was doing that, and then you found me... but after that, I can't remember anything."

"Yeah," he sighed. "That was when you fainted."

"And then what happened?" she asked, directing her gaze toward the ceiling.

"I called for an ambulance and they brought us here. They wheeled you off to an operating room to perform surgery on your foot, which took a few hours, and for the rest of the time, you've been asleep."

Rima frowned somewhat, turning back toward him. "Have you been here the whole time?"

Nagihiko nodded, leaning back in the chair a little bit.

"Oh," she said quietly, looking down at her lap. "Well, um... thanks..."

He shrugged, smiling sweetly. "There's no need to thank me. I just did what anyone else would've done."

As Rima silently agreed, the doctor stepped in, clipboard still in her hands. "It's nice to see you awake, Mashiro-san. We'll need to perform a few tests, if you don't mind, just to check that your levels are regular. We'll have to keep you overnight, and I just talked to your mom - she's on her way and she'll be here in a few minutes..."

Nagihiko took this as an opportunity to leave, and with a quiet goodbye directed toward Rima and another thank you to the doctor, he was out of the room and into the lobby. He continued down the hall until he was back in the waiting room, where he took a seat. He fished his phone out of his pocket to dial his mom's number and ask for a ride home.

"Mother? Yes, I'm all finished up here... Would you mind coming to pick me up? It's the local hospital, where you take me for annual checkups. Okay. Love you, see you soon... Bye." He closed the phone and returned it to his pocket. He then stood up, about to head outside to wait for his mom, when a woman entered the waiting room at a brisk pace. She looked like she was dressed for work, clad in a professional black suit with her light hair swept up in a tight bun.

_Rima-chan's mom,_ he thought. _Just as I remember her._

She was about to storm up to the front desk when she caught Nagihiko's gaze and approached him instead. She couldn't help the look of surprise that came to her face, a mix of shock, relief, and sadness all at once. "Nadeshiko-chan," she said quietly, stony expression softening.

"It's nice to see you again, Mashiro-san," he mumbled, bowing slightly.

"Were you the one who called the ambulance to transport Rima here?"

Nagihiko nodded a little.

Rima's mother bowed humbly, seeming genuinely appreciative. "Thank you so much. You probably saved my daughter's life."

"Oh, um..." she rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. "It was nothing, really..."

"It's not 'nothing'. Really, thank you." She paused a moment, seeming to brighten as an idea came to her. "The doctor explained the situation to me over the phone, and my understanding of it is that she needs someone to look after her every day while I'm at work."

"That's what the doctor mentioned, yes," he nodded.

"Now... I know this is a lot to ask of you, but would you mind doing that for me? You're one of the only friends of Rima's that I trust, and you live right down the street. It's your decision, in the end, but it would really mean a lot if you could take care of her in my stead."

"Well, I'm not sure-" He stopped upon seeing her expectant look.

Rima probably wasn't going to be thrilled when she found out that her mom had asked this of 'Nadeshiko', but maybe this was Nagihiko's chance to repair their friendship and make up for all the trouble he'd caused her.

He could make things right between them again.

He nodded moments later, smiling determinedly. "I'll do it."

**This whole chapter was a little filler, but I enjoyed writing it nonetheless.**

**I hope you guys enjoyed it, too. :D**


	7. Chapter 7

**As always, your reviews continue to boost my ego. Thank you guys so much. :)**

**Here it is~!**

Rima arrived at school two days later on crutches, her bandaged foot now safely placed in a cast. Her mom had driven her to school, so she was there earlier than she would've liked to be (though she supposed she should be grateful for the extra time to get around). People would think of it as an opportunity to ask her questions about how she had injured herself, and she hadn't thought to come up with an excuse that didn't make her sound idiotic.

She sighed as she maneuvered to her locker, head down in an attempt to avoid the other students' watchful eyes.

Rima eventually reached her destination, leaning heavily on her crutch and the surrounding lockers as she entered her combination. She had managed to open the stupid thing, sure... but how was she supposed to carry her books? She had thought that her mom was being smart by telling her to leave her bag at home, but she soon realized how bad an idea that had been.

She was about to give up and head to class empty-handed when a voice made her stop in her tracks.

"Need some help, Rima-chan?"

The petite blonde turned around, only to see a pleasant, waving Nadeshiko and a slightly concerned Amu.

"Um... yes, if you don't mind," she mumbled, sighing softly.

Nadeshiko giggled and Amu smiled lightly, wanting to tackle the girl with a hug but fearing that it would knock her over and inflict more pain on her foot. They both asked Rima what she needed from her locker before removing the items and locking everything back up.

She looked grateful, trailing behind them at a much slower pace. She still wasn't entirely used to the crutches yet, and they were wearing her out.

"You okay, Rima?" Amu called back from up ahead. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," she responded tiredly. "Thanks for asking."

Amu nodded. "You know, when Nadeshiko told everyone that you were in the hospital, they all freaked out. They wouldn't calm down until she explained that it was just a broken foot and nothing more serious than that. But make sure you eat lunch with us today, okay? Just so that they can be reassured that you're doing all right."

Rima nodded, only speaking her 'yes' aloud when she realized that her friends up ahead couldn't see her actions.

It wasn't long before they reached the classroom; the bell hadn't rung yet, so they were the first ones there. Rima made her way to her desk in the back of the room as Amu and Nadeshiko set her things down, the short girl falling into her seat with minimal amounts of grace. She thanked the two, sighing with relief as she let herself relax. She glanced over at Amu, who was sending her worried looks, and smiled reassuringly. The girl eventually returned the smile.

And then her gaze fell on Nadeshiko.

It's not like she wouldn't have done the same for the purple-haired girl if they had been in the same situation with reversed roles, but it was the readiness with which Nadeshiko had helped her a few days back that surprised Rima. After how cold she had been, too...

"Nadeshiko-chan," she called after a moment, fighting the embarrassed blush that rose to her cheeks. She hadn't called her that in a long time.

A bright smile lit up the other girl's face as she responded. "Yes, Rima-chan?"

"Come here, please," she mumbled.

Nadeshiko walked over, looking a little confused as she did so. She fiddled with her ponytail as she settled herself down on the surface of a nearby desk, eyebrows raised expectantly. "What is it?"

"My mom said something about someone needing to take care of me over the next few weeks, and that someone being you. Is this true, or not?"

She nodded slowly. "Yes, it is... I hope you don't mind. I know you don't like me very much, but your mom said I was one of the only people she could trust."

Rima appeared conflicted as she mulled this over in her mind, weighing her animosity toward the girl with gratefulness for having her life saved. Eventually, she sighed. "I guess if it's anyone, it should be you. I do still trust-" she shook her head, clearing her throat. "Nevermind."

_What am I saying?_ she thought frustratedly. She wasn't even sure that she wanted to be friends with Nadeshiko again, yet a large part of her was already trying to open up to the warm-hearted girl. She couldn't let herself trust so readily. It was what had gotten her into this situation in the first place.

Nadeshiko was still smiling; she had finished the rest of Rima's sentence in her mind with a bit of smug satisfaction. "Is that all?" she asked moments later.

"Yeah, that was it," Rima nodded, avoiding Nadeshiko's gaze. "You can go sit down, now."

"Whatever you say, Rima-chan," she grinned, returning to her seat to talk to Amu.

As the teacher walked into the classroom to begin the day, Rima felt a pang of jealousy.

At first she thought that it was about Nadeshiko stealing Amu away from her, but that wasn't quite right.

Unbeknownst to her, her feelings toward Nadeshiko were changing. She was unconsciously starting to worry about losing her oldest friend, who she'd told herself she'd never forgive, to the pinkette sitting on her left.

.~*~.

The rest of her classes before lunch went as per usual: Rima let her mind wander and hardly participated. Barely anyone asked her questions,and it was turning out to be a fairly relaxed day.

As soon as Rima stepped into the cafeteria, she was nearly knocked to the ground by a hyperactive Yaya, a bright smile lighting up the younger girl's features. If Nadeshiko and Amu hadn't been there to steady her, she would've fallen over.

"Rima-tan, I missed you! When I heard about your foot, I was sooo worried. Are you okay?"

Rima grinned. "Yeah, I'm good. I missed you too, Yaya."

She was helped to the table, where she sat, setting her crutches down underneath her seat.

"Hey, Mashiro-san! Good to see you back." Kukai flashed her a winsome grin, holding up his hand for a high-five.

Rima had to lean across the table, but she finally managed to reach his hand and slap it. She couldn't help feeling a little foolish as she settled back down.

"Glad you're feeling better, Mashiro-san," came a more subdued voice.

Rima glanced up to find Tadase smiling kindly at her."Ah... thank you, Hotori-kun," she nodded. The attention left her feeling flustered, and her golden eyes fell to her lap.

They all pulled their lunches out, with the exception of Kukai and Yaya, who went over to the lunch line to buy their food. Rima engaged in small talk with everyone else at the table, cracking a smile every once in a while as she ate.

A long while passed before anyone mentioned her foot again.

"So how did it happen?" Amu asked, eyebrows raised.

The short blonde almost choked on her food, "What?"

"How did you break your foot?"

The others looked up from their meals with curiosity.

Rima faltered, unsure of what she was going to say. "Um... well... I was-"

"Rima-chan and I were walking out of the school together when she slipped on some trash on a step and fell down the stairs, landing with her foot in an unusual position. She told me she couldn't walk and that her foot was causing her a lot of pain, so I had my mom drive her to the emergency room. She just wasn't here yesterday because the doctor suggested that she stay home and get some rest; the break itself was pretty ugly," Nadeshiko said, turning and winking at Rima. If the girl wanted to keep the real reason a secret, then Nadeshiko would help out when she could.

"Aw, how unlucky," Amu said with a small frown. "How long do you have to keep the cast on?"

Rima was grateful that she knew the answer to that question. "Two months or less. I'm hoping that it won't take that long. Moving around with these crutches is getting to be _really_ inconvenient."

They laughed, and a small smile graced Rima's lips. She hadn't been with them in a while, since Nadeshiko had shown up. She had thought that they preferred her company to Rima's.

But even if that was true, she now realized that just being able to talk and laugh with them was more than enough for her.

**This chapter was a bit of a non-event. Sorry for the lame update; it's testing week for me, so.**

**I hope you enjoyed it anyway.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Sorry I haven't updated in a few days. I got sick and had very little inspiration to write this chapter. But, here it is. :)**

Rima eyed the purple-haired girl seated on the opposite couch with distaste. The girl responded to the expression with an innocent smile, and Rima sighed.

"So what are we supposed to do? You're 'babysitting' me until a little after seven, and I'm not sure that you just want to sit here and watch the T.V. all afternoon."

"Well, Rima-chan, technically, I'm supposed to be watching over you, so I'm just doing whatever you want to do. If _you_ want to watch T.V. for the next few hours, we can. It's really up to you," Nadeshiko said pleasantly, smiling again.

"I don't really care," she mumbled, lying back. The remote dangled lazily from her hand, almost touching her crutches on the floor but not quite. She looked down at them with a small sigh, and eventually, at the cast on her foot, which she soon began to glare at. She was angry with the fact that she couldn't go back to dancing, and while she knew it was best to let the injury recover fully, she didn't know how long she'd be able to deal with it.

A moment of silence ensued before Rima decided to speak up about something that had been bothering her for a few days. "Hey, Nadeshiko-chan?"

"Yes?" Nadeshiko dragged her eyes away from the television as she responded, shifting so that her left leg was crossed over her right. "What is it, Rima-chan?"

"At the hospital, before I woke up, were you talking to me? About something important, maybe?" She frowned as she tried to remember. "I'm not exactly sure of what I heard, because not all of it makes a whole lot of sense... but still."

Rima noted that Nadeshiko faltered in her response, her nimble fingers anxiously working their way through her high ponytail as she shook her head. "No, I didn't say anything. You must have been dreaming."

The petite blonde frowned from where she lay down. "Are you sure? I could've sworn that I heard something. And it sounded a bit... apologetic." She slowly forced herself into a sitting position, eyes narrowing in slight suspicion.

"I mean... maybe I said a few things. But they probably weren't even important." Nadeshiko shrugged lightly, looking toward her lap. She almost wanted Rima to remember. It would make things so much easier for her, and she wouldn't have to say all those things a second time. "It was two days ago, so I... I don't really remember."

Rima's eyes narrowed further, her expression now something akin to a glare. "Why are you lying to me?"

"I'm not, Rima-chan."

She sighed. "Nadeshiko. I'm not stupid."

Nadeshiko finally looked over at Rima, their eyes meeting for a brief moment. "I know you're not. But I'm telling the truth, I promise you."

Rima frowned, getting frustrated. How could Nadeshiko lie to her face like that?

"I don't know if you remember that we used to be friends or not, but I do, and I know you. I can tell when you're lying, and I can tell when you're hiding something. You're doing both right now. I know that we're not close like we used to be, but you can still talk to me. I'm not a stranger, and I never have been. Not when you started ignoring me after you messed up my foot, and not even when you were in Europe. You could've contacted me any time you wanted to, and I would've listened. But you never jumped on that opportunity. And you don't seem to care for it now." She had dropped the remote and her fists were clenched at her sides.

Nadeshiko shook her head fiercely. "No, Rima-chan, I know that you've always been there for me, but I never wanted to bother you. And I didn't think you wanted to be near me after the whole incident with your foot. I pushed you away because I didn't want to hurt you again."

At those words, Rima picked up the closest pillow and hugged it to her chest. "...Didn't you realize that pushing me away hurt me more than the incident with my foot ever could? Maybe all I wanted after that was a friend."

"But I didn't think the friend you wanted was me." She sighed quietly. "I'm trying to make up for it now, but you're not giving me a chance."

"You blew your only chance a long time ago. Why do you think I'm so done with you now? You can't expect to come back after so many years and be welcomed with open arms by the girl whose trust you violated."

"Rima-chan, everyone makes mistakes, and I regret what I did so much. I think about it everyday. But I can't repair this friendship by myself! I'm trying so hard, every day, to make you forgive me. What are you going to do when one day, I just give up and decide that I'm the one who's done with you?" She rubbed her temples. "You have to remember that I'm not the only one to blame for the current state of our friendship."

Rima opened her mouth to retort, but she quickly closed it, frowning and looking away from Nadeshiko. The girl was right.

As the tension in the room subsided, silence settled over the two girls. The muted television no longer served its purpose of distracting, the two lost deeply in thought.

Nadeshiko's gentle voice eventually broke the silence. "...I don't want to hide things from you, but I'm not ready to tell you yet. Trust me, when I am, I'll come to you first, Rima-chan. That's a promise I intend to keep." She managed a somewhat genuine smile at the girl across the room.

Rima looked to be surprised. She tried desperately to hide the embarrassed blush that rose to her cheeks, nodding a little.

Though she may have seemed upset, Rima found it hard to fight the rush of satisfaction that washed over her as she thought about Nadeshiko's final comment.

.~*~.

The rest of their time together passed quickly. They took the food that Rima's mom had prepared before going to work and reheated it for dinner. After their conversation earlier, the air about them seemed to be much less disturbed, and they ended up having a good time.

Rima's mom returned as they finished eating, which was Nadeshiko's signal to call her mom and ask for a ride home.

The purple-haired girl left the Mashiro household, and when asked how things went, Rima couldn't think of anything bad to say.

.~*~.

The next day, school seemed to pass by quickly. They didn't test in any classes, and the classwork they were given was, for the most part, simple.

As Rima descended the school's front steps, looking up at the cloudy sky, she felt a raindrop land on her nose. As the rain started to pick up, the students around her pulled out their umbrellas or tried to shield their heads with their books and book bags.

She, Amu, and Nadeshiko had agreed that in the case of rain, they would head off separately instead of waiting for each other, so Rima wasted no time as she started toward her house. She didn't have her umbrella, and she knew it would upset her mom if she got her school things wet.

A few minutes after she started walking, two voices calling her name made her stop and turn around.

"Rima-chan!"

"Rima, wait up!"

Nadeshiko and Amu ran toward her, the former clutching an umbrella. Rima let them reach her and catch their breath, smiling a little. "Hey, guys. Liking this weather?"

"Hah, no," Amu grinned, shaking her head. "Aren't you cold? You don't have an umbrella or anything, right?"

Rima shook her head. "I don't. And I'm freezing, but my house isn't too far up ahead, so I should be fine."

"Here, guys," Nadeshiko said, holding out her umbrella to Amu and Rima. "You two can use it, because not all three of us will fit underneath."

The pinkette frowned. "Nadeshiko, we couldn't. I don't want you to get sick."

"I'm fine. I have a pretty strong immune system, so I don't think I will. Don't worry about me," Nadeshiko smiled.

"Are you sure?" Rima asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

The girl nodded.

"All right." Amu took hold of the umbrella, suspending it above their heads. She kept sneaking furtive glances at Nadeshiko, frowning as the girl steadily got soaked. "Are you sure you're okay?"

She waved off her concern. "Yes, Amu-chan."

The pouring rain created a comfortable, almost soothing silence that was quickly cut short as Amu handed the umbrella off to Rima and ascended her front steps. "I'll bring an umbrella the next time it rains, I promise!" she called out, before waving and stepping inside.

Rima handed it off to Nadeshiko. "There you go. It's always easier if the taller person holds the umbrella."

"Thank you, Rima-chan," Nadeshiko nodded. She sneezed moments later.

"...Hey, Nadeshiko?" Rima asked.

"Yeah?" the girl responded, sneezing again.

Rima frowned, arms crossed as she looked over at Nadeshiko. "When you said you didn't get sick easily...?"

Another sneeze. "Yeah. I lied."

**Not much to say. Hope you enjoyed.**


	9. Chapter 9

**I apologize for my absence. I've been gone for a while, but things came up and I got really sick. And I've also had no motivation to write. xD**

**This chapter is pretty short, but I'm hoping to update again within the week.**

**Oh, before I forget, a disclaimer... I don't own Shugo Chara! or any of its characters.**

**Enjoy?**

Rima stopped outside of her house, shivering. Nadeshiko was holding the umbrella above their heads, sniffling every few seconds.

The shorter blonde quickly fished the house keys out of her bag, unlocking the door and stepping inside. Nadeshiko followed her, but not before closing her umbrella and setting it down on the porch.

The instant warmth provided by the heating relieved them as they set their bags down, but it still didn't feel like enough. "I'll go get some blankets. Are you sure you don't just want to go home and rest?"

"No, Rima-chan," she mumbled, shaking her head and sneezing again. "I'm fine."

Rima shrugged. "If you say so." She disappeared down the hallway, and Nadeshiko could hear the closet door open followed by a frustrated sigh.

"Nadeshiko-chan?"

"Yes?"

"I know that you're sick and all, but would you mind helping me with the blankets? With my crutches, I really don't have enough hands to carry them..."

Nadeshiko stood with a small smile, "Sure, Rima-chan." She walked down the long hallway until she reached the girl, looking toward the open closet door. "Which ones do you want me to get?"

Rima paused, frowning at the selection. It seemed like she was looking for something. "You can get whichever one you want, but... do you see the white blanket with the multi-colored polka dots on it? It's kind of...mine," she blushed sheepishly.

Nadeshiko searched for the aforementioned blanket, spotting it a few shelves above Rima's line of vision. "Yeah, it's up top. I'll get it down for you." She stood on her tip toes, plucking the soft fabric down easily with a bit of a satisfied smirk. She quickly wiped the expression off of her face when she turned around, only to find her friend sulking. Probably because she had been too short to retrieve her possession.

"I think I'll keep it in my room from now on," she mumbled.

Nadeshiko couldn't hide the faint smile that crept onto her lips; she pretended that she hadn't heard RIma's little comment. "Which blanket do you think I should get, Rima-chan?"

The girl perked up as she was addressed. "Um... Maybe that light blue one? With the dark purple flowers on it?"

_Sure, why not._ Nadeshiko almost sighed. "Sounds good, Rima-chan. Thanks." She grabbed the blanket off of the shelf. Rima reached out to close the door, and the two headed back toward the living room.

They collapsed on their respective couches, looking across the space at each other. "How does some TV and a nap sound?" Rima asked, already reaching for the remote nearby.

Nadeshiko shrugged indifferently, though she was grinning. "Sure." She proceeded to wrap herself up in the blankets as the TV was turned on. She noticed Rima doing the same, the small girl changing the channel to something comedy-related.

Nadeshiko was the first one to fall asleep; Rima was attempting to watch the entirety of the show, but her eyes soon slipped shut and her breathing evened out.

It was the most peaceful she'd felt in a while.

.~*~.

The first thing Rima realized upon waking was that it was no longer raining outside.

She smiled a little as she sat up, her polka-dotted blanket still wrapped securely around her shoulders. She took her phone out of her pocket and checked the time. _6:30._

Nadeshiko was still fast asleep, turned so that she was facing the couch rather than the television. Her breathing seemed a bit heavy, and she was snoring lightly.

Rima thought about what had gone on with their friendship since the purple-headed girl's return. Rima didn't want to forgive her so readily, but Nadeshiko was her oldest friend, and before the other day, she had never bothered to listen to her side of the story. Maybe she had blown the whole situation out of proportion. Maybe not. The only thing she knew for sure was that she'd be willing to try her hand at friendship once more.

Quietly getting up so that she wouldn't disturb the light sleeper resting on the other couch, Rima moved over to the television (albeit slowly) and turned it off. She went upstairs to her room, turned on some music, and browsed the Internet for a little while. About a half-hour later, she decided she would start on her homework on the couch downstairs. Nadeshiko hadn't come upstairs, so she figured the girl was still asleep.

She stepped back into the living room and plopped down on the couch, fiddling with a strand of her hair that refused to remain in place. Eventually deeming it a lost cause, Rima leaned back against the couch and stared determinedly at the assignment in her lap, pen uncapped and tapping relentlessly against the paper.

She was well into the fifth short answer question when she thought she heard mumbling from the couch Nadeshiko was sleeping on.

With a shrug, she turned back to her work, trying to ignore the nearly coherent noises. So what if the girl talked in her sleep? She'd let her be.

And so, for the next forty-five minutes, Rima tried and failed to concentrate on her Chemistry homework, the question of what Nadeshiko had been mumbling about floating through her mind.

.~*~.

By the time Nagihiko forced his amber eyes open, Rima was already sitting up on the other couch, her homework resting on top of the blanket and in her lap. He felt a little dizzy, and opted to close his eyes again, but RIma had already spotted him. She looked distracted.

"You're finally awake, Nadeshiko-chan. How'd you sleep?"

"Well," the boy mumbled, opening his eyes once more. "I'm a little surprised that you managed to wake up before me, Rima-chan." As he sat up, another wave of dizziness washed over him, and he realized that his face felt a bit hot. If he had been feeling just a little bit better, he might've noticed that there was something on Rima's mind.

"Yeah... I guess I wasn't that tired after all." Rima herself sounded a little distant, but he assumed it was because she was working on her homework. "Do you feel better? It's not raining anymore."

"I'm fine, yes... What time is it...?" he asked first. Then, because he wanted to be able to go home soon, "Is your mom back yet?"

"No, she's not, but she should be soon," Rima said. "It's 7:45 right now; she told me she's on her way back. So... in another thirty minutes, maybe?"

Nagihiko nodded, closing his eyes.

"Are you hungry?"

He shook his head.

Rima frowned and stood, leaning on the side table for support. Nadeshiko was always hungry by this time, and she knew for a fact that neither of them had eaten anything upon getting home. Leaving her crutches behind, she made her way to the other couch in a similar manner and placed the back of her hand on Nadeshiko's forehead.

A pause.

"You're warm. I think you may have a fever."

Nagihiko waved the girl off, opening his eyes and blinking repeatedly. "No, it's probably because I just slept for a couple of hours under an exceedingly warm and comfortable blanket."

There was a moment of silence as RIma turned and pointed to the blanket on the ground. "You kicked it off an hour ago." Her expression softened, albeit only slightly, as she continued. "If you're getting sick, there's no reason to lie about it. It's better if you tell people earlier, before it gets too serious... You should call your mom right now to pick you up. I'll be fine on my own until my mom gets back."

Nagihiko found himself frowning. "You know that I can't- I mean, I'm not supposed to - leave you."

"You can," she said, picking up Nadeshiko's phone on the table and handing it to her, "and you will."

"But your mom-" he protested weakly, reaching out to take the phone anyway.

"-will understand. Trust me, it's not a big deal."

Nagihiko searched Rima's expression for anything that might have said otherwise as he asked, "Are you sure?"

She found nothing.

"Absolutely positive."

With a pitiable sigh, the purple-haired boy slowly dialed his mom's number and held the device up to his ear. "Hello, mother? I'm ready to be picked up now. I think I caught a cold from the rain today... yes, her mom's back... okay. See you soon. Love you too." He hung up the phone and leaned back against the cushions. "There. Are you happy now?"

"Yes," RIma stated. "How can I not be when I know you'll be out of my house in the next five minutes?"

"I thought you didn't hate me any-"

Nagihiko was practically pouting by the time he cut himself off. "You're mean. You shouldn't lie to me like that."

Rima smirked, repositioning herself so that she ended up perched on the edge of the table. "Aw, but I can't help it. You're gullible. At least you caught on. Amu would've taken me seriously," she grinned at the thought.

Nagihiko felt himself blush in embarrassment, grateful that his fever was already making his face red. "Whatever."

"...Are you _pouting_?" Rima asked, smiling in spite of herself.

"Maybe," he mumbled.

It was RIma who laughed first, but a small giggle escaped Nagihiko moments later and it wasn't long before the two had practically doubled over, laughing hysterically. The laughter eventually dissolved into a companionable silence, which persisted until there was a polite knock at the door.

"That's probably my mother," Nagihiko murmured, leaning against the couch's armrest as he stood. He stumbled a bit, but managed to right himself before he could fall (Rima was grateful for this, because she wouldn't have been able to catch Nadeshiko anyway).

Rima hobbled over to the couch, watching as her friend unlocked and opened the door with a kind smile. As expected, it was his mother, who appeared to be slightly distressed as she fussed over her son-disguised-as-a-daughter. "Nagihiko, are you all right?"

Rima raised an eyebrow at the name, just as he looked to his mother and all but hissed, "I'm Nadeshiko."

The woman looked startled for a moment, but laughed it off nervously and eventually went back to coddling her child. "You feel like you're burning up... At this rate, you won't be able to dance in the show this weekend..."

She blinked as she finally acknowledged Rima's presence in the room and the fact that she could hear their whole conversation.

"Oh, RIma-chan! You're so small, I didn't even notice you there." She laughed, oblivious to Rima's glaring. "It's so nice to see you again - how's your foot feeling?"

"Fine. A little sore, but I know it's healing." A light, mostly fake smile graced her features as she spoke.

"Where's your mom?"

Rima rubbed the back of her neck, looking bashful as she replied with a fluid lie. "She's showering right now. Sorry she's not here to greet you..."

The woman smiled warmly nonetheless. "That's all right. Just tell her I say hi, all right?"

"I will," she nodded.

There was a lull in the conversation before Nadeshiko's mom spoke up again. "Now... it's time for us to be leaving. Thank you for having Nadeshiko call me, and thanks for taking such good care of her. She needs more friends like you."

Rima tried not to look smug. She beamed like an angel as she replied. "Of course. Hope you feel better, Nadeshiko-chan."

Nagihiko wanted to groan in frustration. His mother, of all people... "Thanks, Rima-chan. I'll see you tomorrow if I'm feeling well enough to go to school."

As they said their goodbyes and closed the door behind them, RIma couldn't help but puzzle over just who Nagihiko was.

**Don't hate me. It's not very good, and there was so much confusion with the name changes in the last section that I gave up trying to make it make sense. But I'll update sooner this time, I promise.**

**Reviews are always appreciated. :)**


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